


A Missing Pair

by MerlinFicDriveThru



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Modern Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-01
Updated: 2015-10-01
Packaged: 2018-04-24 05:26:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4907188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerlinFicDriveThru/pseuds/MerlinFicDriveThru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Merthur kids au: Arthur declaring we're friends now - no - why not - because I'm not likeable - says who - my dad . He rather left than have me for a son. Or something like that, please. Thanx for your work again!</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Missing Pair

Merlin and Arthur were unusual friends.

They met and immediately hated each other.

They fought and they argued and they tumbled on the playground for the first week.

Then, out of the blue, Merlin brought a few cupcakes and a couple of juices and he and Arthur were best friends.

Which looked a lot like they hated each other, but instead of one of them crying at the end of it, they laughed and moved on.

It took another few weeks for Hunith to invite Arthur over. She’d braved the fortress of Uther and invited Arthur along for a playdate.

Merlin was afraid. Arthur had a big house and the best toys at show and tell and fancy lunches at break time. Arthur also had one major thing that Merlin didn’t.

He had a father.

He didn’t say anything at first.

“Wow, Merlin, your house is so warm.” Arthur looked around at the brightly painted walls and the hand knitted blankets on the couch. “I like this one.”

He’d pulled a red and yellow throw from the bottom of the pile, little dragons knit all over it. “Makes me think of knights.”

“Yeah, my mom made that one for me a few Christmas’s ago. I always did like dragons.” Merlin didn’t point out that knights killed dragons, usually, but Arthur still scowled when he put it back down.

Merlin had taken him to his room, passing by the scent of vegetable pie and pastry cooking. Arthur had poked his head in curiously, but Merlin had dragged him down the hallway. His mom didn’t like for him to play in the kitchen when she was cooking.

His toys were old and a bit broken. He’d bit his lip and looked over at Arthur, expecting a scoff or a sneer. Instead, Arthur’s eyes lit up.

“Is this a Space-O-Naut 2.0? My dad wouldn’t let me get it! He said that I’d outgrown it.”

“What? You’re the same age as me!” Merlin frowned and handed the astronaut toy over before it occurred to him that maybe Arthur was saying Merlin was too old for such a toy. “I mean, if you want to play with it. You probably have a lot cooler stuff at home.”

Arthur gave Merlin a strange look, picking up the toy. “I’d always wanted one. My dad’s a bit of a jerk.”

“At least you have one…” Merlin mumbled. He’d been waiting the entire playdate for Arthur to ask where Merliin’s dad was.

“You don’t have a dad?” Arthur scoffed. “That’s ridiculous. Dad says everyone has a dad, just some dads are jerks and some dads are…” He trailed off for a moment, his voice going quiet. “Dead. Is your dad dead?”

“No. Worse.” Merlin looked down at his hands, trying to keep from showing his embarrassment. “He just left. Decided it wasn’t worth it to have a son.”

Arthur put an awkward arm around Merlin’s shoulders. “Look, we’re friends now. You can have my dad.”

Merlin blushed this time, all the way to his ears. “I don’t think that’s how dad’s work.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t want mine anyway. He’s mean and doesn’t let me have cool toys.” Arthur frowned. “But at least you have a mom. I don’t have a one. She died when I was born.”

Merlin frowned. “I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah, I guess we’re both missing parents.”

“Yeah.”

And the two of them were a little less alone knowing that.


End file.
